Democrats Plan to Block Gitmo Closing

By

Naftali Bendavid

Updated May 20, 2009 12:01 am ET

WASHINGTON -- Bowing to political pressure, Senate Democrats said Tuesday that they planned to withhold funding to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until President Barack Obama presents a plan for handling its 241 detainees.

Democrats also plan to prevent the administration from spending any money to transfer Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. during the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Both restrictions are contained in an amendment to a $91.3 billion measure funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the amendment...